Police: Landscaper caught in sexual act with dog arrested

A 61-year-old man turned himself in after he was allegedly caught “participating in a lewd sexual act” with a family’s pet dog while working as a landscaper.

Gwinnett County police were called to a home in Lawrenceville Saturday evening after receiving a disturbing phone call. The homeowner told police he had been playing in the yard with his nephew when they saw landscaper Cruz Barrera-Lugo engaged in a sexual act with their dog.

According to police, when Barrera-Lugo realized the two had spotted him, he stopped what he was doing and left in a small black 2-door pickup truck. The homeowner immediately called police after the incident and responding officers then reviewed home surveillance video.

“This is an especially disturbing case for many reasons,” the Gwinnett County Police Department said in a news release Monday.

Barrera-Lugo surrendered to authorities shortly before 5 p.m. Monday, and is being held without bond at the Gwinnett County jail. He’s been charged with bestiality and cruelty to children.

The suspect had been servicing the family’s lawn every two weeks for nearly a year. Police aren’t sure if the Saturday incident was the first time this has happened, or if it’s been ongoing.